The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)
Estée Lauder makes prestige skincare, makeup, and fragrance brands sold in department stores and travel retail.
Consumer Staples stock comparison
EL vs PM: which business are you actually underwriting?
Compare The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. with Philip Morris International Inc. using their business models, SEC classifications, fiscal calendars, current primary filings, and the research questions that matter. This is a thesis framework—not a price target or automatic winner.
- Sector
- Consumer
- Industry
- Different SIC
- Shared themes
- 1
- Updated
- 2026-08-19
EL vs PM: quick comparison
| Company fact | EL | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. | Philip Morris International Inc. |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Headquarters | — | Stamford, Connecticut |
| Founded | — | 2008 |
| SEC industry | Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations | Cigarettes |
| Fiscal year-end | June 30 | December 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-08-19 | 10-K · 2026-02-06 |
EL vs PM: audited financials
PM reported about 2.8× the revenue of EL in the latest audited fiscal year. Scale and margin are starting facts for the thesis, not the verdict.
| Metric | EL | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $14.3B | $40.6B |
| Net income | — | $11.3B |
| Operating cash flow | $1.3B | $12.2B |
| Diluted EPS | −$3.15 | $7.26 |
| Net margin | — | 27.9% |
EL: FY ending 2025-06-30 · PM: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
How the businesses differ
Why this pair belongs in the comparison set
EL and PM have different SEC industry classifications, but both map to the maintained International markets research theme inside the Consumer Staples sector. A shared classification or theme makes the pair useful for a defined research question; it does not mean the companies have identical products, economics, or risks.
Philip Morris International Inc. (PM)
Philip Morris International sells tobacco products outside the United States and is shifting toward smoke-free alternatives such as its IQOS heated-tobacco system. That transition is central to its long-term growth narrative.
The useful starting point is not which ticker has performed better. It is whether the two companies convert the same economic forces into revenue and cash flow in the same way. EL is classified by the SEC as Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations, while PM is classified as Cigarettes. The different industry codes are a warning against treating sector membership as proof of identical economics.
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The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $15 a month.
Read the full researchWhich thesis does each company fit?
Use the distinction below to decide which filing deserves deeper work. It is a research routing rule, not a recommendation or prediction.
Study EL when…
- Input-cost inflation and pricing power
- Private-label competition and volume trends
- Currency, given large international revenue
- Defensive rotation when growth slows
Study PM when…
- Smoke-free product volume and revenue mix shift, led by IQOS and ZYN nicotine pouches
- Regulatory treatment of reduced-risk nicotine products across international markets
- Currency translation, given an entirely non-US revenue base
- Pricing power in combustible cigarettes as global volumes decline
Shared research themes
International markets
SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable.EL's fiscal year ends June 30, while PM's ends December 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 8matched transaction rows for ELand 12 for PM. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
EL primary filings
PM primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
EL vs PM FAQs
Are EL and PM direct competitors?
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Philip Morris International Inc. sit in the same Consumer Staples sector but have different SEC industry classifications. The comparison is most useful for portfolio role and sector exposure, not as a claim that every product competes directly.
Which is better, EL or PM?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this EL vs PM comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Philip Morris International Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-09-25. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-09-25. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
A comparison is the setup. The thesis is the call.
EL vs PM shows how the businesses differ. Membership is the monthly sourced view of who could benefit, what could break, and what evidence matters next. $15/month or $150/year.
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